An expanse of warm sand, heated naturally by geothermal energy, where the queens lay their clutches. The Hatching Caverns are surrounded by carved stone stadium seating with plenty of room for spectators. An opening at the top of the cavern is just large enough to allow in sunlight, or one dragon at a time to enter from the air, but it can also be covered in case of inclement weather.

Zira could certainly empathize with being the reluctant recipient of attention beyond his control, but did the egg really have to imply that he was a stick in the mud? He was sorely tempted to pout at that assumption. He wasn't; he was just quiet. Shy. Reserved. There wasn't anything wrong with that. Right?

...why was he letting what an unhatched dragon thought bother him? He shook his head and stepped away with a little sigh. Well, if he Impressed, he doubted it would be to that egg. Maybe the next one he touched would be a bit more receptive. He glanced toward Soleth's eggs again, then at Soleth, and decided to wander over to Aidyth's clutch (or what remained of it, anyway). Moving carefully, he knelt beside the small Ancient Wings egg and touched his fingers to the shell. What colour was inside? Green? Bismuth? Maybe even a black or white?

Schuldig grinned a little while he watched Cordel make the rounds, having picked the Healer out of the crowd, partly because he was Pernese and partly because he was one he'd actually spoken with before. Hmm...sparkly, fluffy, rainbow-y. He wondered whether Cordel would be interested in the most recent reboot (what were they on now? A million?) of that kid's show with the sparkleponies. He chuckled to himself even as he thought that even if the Healer would like something like that, there was likely little chance of him owning up to it.

He peered over the rims of his sunglasses. Nope, not bad at all. He needed to pay the man a visit sometime, when he wasn’t injured or throwing up. Maybe if he showed up with a stiff back or something that could benefit from some hands-on treatment, though…. Aaaand now he was getting off-topic. Eggs. Right. Eggs and touching and the general mind-fuckery thereof. Contentment, confusion, disappointment, pleasure…. Definitely a mixed-bag.

He decided he’d try to pick Cordel’s brain later, along with…hm. Maybe Kezia and an actual Searched Candidate. There was that dark-haired Harper who he’d let rummage through his music files—wait, he wasn’t Candidate. He’d said he had a friend who was, and—what the fuck? Who’d let the kid on the sands? Schuldig blinked at Missandei for a moment, taken by surprise by her small stature before he recognized her as an actual adult Candidate. He might have gotten a glimpse of her here and there, but he couldn’t quite recall. Whatever. If she was a Candidate, he might chat her up later. For now, he’d try this shit for himself.

He stepped away from the wall now and did the bowing protocol thing, even managing to keep a straight face through it. That done, he headed for an egg that had caught his eye earlier. He could swear that the shell’s pattern was different somehow than the last time he’d glanced at it, and…did it just change again? He figured it was probably an optical illusion of some sort, but still, it was a damn distracting and interesting egg, so he put his palm against the Glitch in the Mainframe egg, muttering “Well, you got my attention. Now what?”

Zak gave the egg a warm smile; it reminded him of someone who he was rather close to. “All right, I’ll leave you to your thoughts. But after you hatch, if you ever want to chat with someone besides your rider, just look me up.” With that, he pulled his hand away and looked around the clutches once more.

Hmm, one of Iassenth’s now, he thought., making his way over to the Inner City Skyline egg . Mindful of the last egg’s reaction, he let his fingers hover a hair’s breadth from the shell for a moment. “Hello there,” he greeted with an easy smile. “Hope you’re enjoying yourself so far.” Now that he’d announced his presence as well as he could figure, he let his fingers brush over the shell.

See, that? That was more or less what Kezia was expecting from an egg-touch. It was an interesting feeling, being ignored by an egg-presence sitting in your head. "Don't worry," she muttered with an amused snort. "Someone'll come along who interests you more." Then she took her hand off the egg and stood up, looking around at ... huh, new arrivals. Schuldig, what a surprise. She strongly considered calling him over to the egg she'd just touched - they might actually make a good pairing ... but no, he was over at those hopelessly garish eggs on the other side of the sands. Which she maybe ought to check out, because ... seriously, that one was noisy, that one needed a reminder that she was not edible except in the fun way, that one felt like a couple of tabs of Valium and that one over there felt like it had terminal PMS. Some of these eggs were incredibly weird.

For a moment, though, her eye rested on the pretty girl who was ... pouting down at Eye-Spots? This somehow cheered Kezia up. Not that she didn't want Eye-Spots to have company ... just ... she wanted it to be her company.

Shut. Up.

So, there was a quick perusal of the more ... garish eggs over there (and a tip of a wink to Schuldig as she passed him by - of the 'hey, I have thoughts about this touching stuff and I probably have good booze and you know you're tempted' variety) ... and then Soleth's clutch. Other people had turned up there, and hadn't got their heads bitten off. Although ... they'd all been natives. Still, curiosity trumped the desire to stay unmauled, and she really didn't have any intention to harm anything. Shejust wanted to see what roundish, dark and shiny over there was about. So, with another bow to Soleth, she hunkered down by Everyone's a Hero. "Okay," she told it. "I'm looking at you. What now?"

Leaving the first egg behind, Draco moved on with a hint of trepidation that he wasn't going to allow to show. He continued to move with exaggerated care, trying to show the clutchmothers that he wasn't intending to bring harm to the precious eggs as well as actually not bringing harm to them.

Soleth's voice in his mind took him aback; he stood stock-still as she started to speak, and it took several seconds before he was willing to move again. She must have been talking about someone else.

He moved towards the next egg, rather than brave a small gap between it and the one he was by; he laid a careful hand on the Crowning Spikes Egg.

J'sin of Bronze Poseith (A29523)Invictus Draco, Security Sergeant

I believe in ICA=ICC. My characters' actions should have consequences, and they aren't always the nicest of people. If anything they do upsets you, please let me know.

She brushed her hand against the second of Soleth's eggs, then made her way back to the main clutch.

Truthfully, she was forcing her mind open. Any of the ones she had touched might be hers. As might any of the ones she had not yet come to.

She, thus, set about the task of touching as many of the remaining eggs as she could manage before the queens threw the Candidates off the Sands.

There would be no golds or silvers this time, and she was almost relieved by that, although she wondered what she might Impress.

There was, of course, the chance that she might be chosen by a pearl, which would be almost as 'good' as a gold, but she still wasn't sure she wouldn't prefer a fighter.

Or would she? She resolved, as she moved among the eggs, not to care. Whatever her fate was, it would be with a dragon...and any dragon that would choose her had to be fun to be with. She was sure of *that* much at least.

Zira's face relaxed into a smile at the feelings from the Ancient Wings egg. It seemed he'd found more of a like-minded dragonet. Calm, quiet, and this one didn't seem to share the opinion of the Celestial Powerplay egg. It took all sorts, he supposed, but you, little egg, are of a sort he definitely likes.

He lingered by the egg for a few moments since it seemed he was welcome to stay, and then got to his feet with a quiet, "It was nice meeting you." From there, he made the rounds to the other eggs, showing a preference for the small, the unobtrusive, and the softly-shaded. After touching the Gentle Heart egg (and summarily falling in love with it; who wouldn't love something so soothing?), he finally felt at-ease enough to approach Soleth's little clutch.

The bold-looking Everyone's a Hero egg didn't really appeal to him, but its little ridged clutch-sibling? Oh yes. He thought the rippled patten rather beautiful. He gave another bow to Soleth and slowly lowered himself to the sand, figuring that sudden movement would likely not go over well. "Hello," he murmured, lightly tracing his fingertips over the Mask is Slipping egg's ridges.

Lukewarm reception from the egg aside, he remained excited, face pulled into a wide smile because, hee, the egg talked to him! He'd be ever so interested to see the persons these first three eggs he'd touched Impressed to. It was like watching a few puppies grow up - you became attached to them over just a touch or two for nothing more then the fact you got a reaction.

"Yes, yes, I'm quite excited. When you hatch and Impress, I will be loud and harass you ridiculous amounts with my cheering from the stands. You have a god day, little egg. I hope your future bondmate touches you."

Another pat to the egg and Norm stood, beaming at the protective brooding creatures all around him. He'd touched Three and that was the amount he said he'd be allowed. Enough to remember and discuss in his notes, not too many to forget or blur together. The scientest bowed again to those in charge before leaving the sands.

---

Cleo, on the other hand, giggled quite loudly at the Ring of Fire egg, smiling down at it. "Alas, fair egglet, you are but an embryo and I a mere human woman. If you hatch a grown human man, then we can talk." She paused, considered that for a moment, and grinned. "Or a human woman. Go all Athena on me egglet, but I'm not a xenophile. My deepest apologies."

She kissed her right index and middle finger before tapping it at the top of the egg for it's very first kiss. Ha! Cute little egglet.

"You come say hi to me after you find your bondmate, eggie. I'll give you something to eat, okay. Good man. Or woman." Another pat, gentler, and then she stood and slid off to go talk at the other various eggs. Time for fun!

The Everyone's a Hero egg got a bit of a smirk from Kezia at first - not as fond as it could be, but friendly and certainly amused - and then...

Laughter. Not at the egglet, oh no. Amused, certainly, but this one's not the butt of any joke. Just she couldn't not be amused by that level of self-confidence and presumption in an unhatched egg. Kezia, a sidekick to anyone! How adorable. "Start talking a more equal partnership," she murmured fondly to the egg, amused laughter still in her voice, "and we'll talk."

She looked up as she stood, spotted Zira and gave him a bit of a smile - friendly, but still that element of smirk to it all the same - before bowing to Soleth again and taking up a place on the sidelines. She wanted to see if anyone else paid attention to Eye-Spots over there ... not to mention if anyone else got a favourable response.